Adventures in Eco-Friendly Wedding Planning

Event planner by day, seamstress by night, Erica Binns helps run the Mother Earth News Fairs and owns the Etsy shop Barefoot Sewing. Wedding bells will ring for Erica and her fiancé Matt on June 22, 2013.

It was New Year’s Eve. Shivering slightly in our nicest coats, we stood atop a parking garage at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, gazing out over the graceful buildings draped elegantly with Christmas lights.

I took a deep breath, pulled a small box out of my clutch, and handed it to my boyfriend of two years. “A late Christmas present,” I said.

Inside was a silver pocket watch engraved with the words, “Will you marry me?”

Fast forward 18 months. We plan to get married at the church I grew up in and will host the reception a few miles away at a cozy clubhouse. Our wedding date is set for June 22, 2013, which seems a lot closer now that it’s less than a full year away!

Since I joined Ogden Publications last spring, I’ve tried to be more conscious about what I can do to reduce waste and make choices that benefit the world around me. That applies to the cup I drink out of every day (glass, with a glass straw), how I get to work (carpooling instead of driving alone), and entertainment (biking to the farmers market instead of driving to a movie).

American weddings can be some of the most extravagant, wasteful events in the world. I don’t want my happy day to ruin someone else’s down the road—so why not apply these principles to my wedding as well?

My goals are to:

Waste as few natural resources as possible.

Support ethical and local companies.

Stay within my family’s budget. And

Celebrate in style!

I’ll post to this blog over the next year as I search for fabric flowers, recycled paper stationery, eco-friendly group transportation, fabric for my wedding gown and more. If you have any tips, please leave suggestions for me in the comments!